Half to luder raschen



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1..

. J. SOHROEDER.

PROPULSION OF VESSELS.

- No. 443,168. Patented Dec. 23., 1890.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. SGHROEDER.

PROPULSION OP VESSELS. No. 448,168. Patented Dec. 23,1890.

awe/"$01 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOIIN SCIIROEDER, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TOLUDER RASCHEN, OF SAME PLACE.

PROPU LSION OF VESSELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 443,168, dated December28, 1890.

Application filed May 28, 1890. Serial No. 353,474. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN SOHROEDER, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of California,have invented an Improvement in the Propulsion of Vessels; and I herebydeclare the following to be a'full, clear, and exact description of thesame.

My invention relates to improvements in the propulsion of vessels; andit consists in the employment of a chamber or chambers formed beneathand in the sides of the vessel diverging and opening backwardly throughsaid sides, and a column of air forced through said passages, so as topress upon the body of water in which the vessel floats. V

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanationof myinvention, Figure 1 is a side view of my device. Fig. 2 is a bottomview showing the arrangement of one chamber. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 show aseries of chambers for a large vessel.

A is the hold of a vessel, having one or more chambers 13 formed beneathand in the sides. These chambers are preferably made diverging with thelarger ends opening backwardly or toward the stem of the vessel, and Cis a pipe or pipes, through which air under pressure is directed intothese chambers. The air is compressed by any suitable pumping orair-compressing apparatus which will furnish a large volume of air undera small compression. This body of air is discharged into the chamber orchambers formed beneath the bottom of the vessel, and being forcedbackwardly Within these chambers it impinges against the water in whichthe vessel floats, and thus serves to propel the vessel forward in thismedium. When the vessel has a simple flat bottom, the chamber is madedivergin g from a point approximately near the stem and widening to therear of the vessel, where the final opening or discharge is situated.

The bottom of this chamber may be inclosed or covered over partially orwholly, or it may be left open, the buoyant tendency of the airretaining it in the upper part of the chamber and preventing itsescaping directly beneath the edges of the passage. If the vessel has akeel, the chamber or chambers will be made upon each side of the keel,diverging in the same manner as before described, but approximating asnearly as possible to the best form for the vessels bottom, so as toprevent any undue retarding of the vessel on account of irregularitiesof surface at this'point. If the vessel be large, it will be manifestthat several of these diverging channels or chambers may be applied uponeach side of the keel, the series extending from the stem to ward thestern, and any one, two, or more of these chambers or passages may besupplied with air under pressure, so as to propel the vessel forward ina straight line or to assist in turning it.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

A vessel having a plural number of diverging channels or chambers formedin or beneath the bottom and arranged one behind the other from aboutstem to stern, said chambers having their larger ends opening rearwardalong each side of the vessel, pipes or passages through which air underpressure is discharged into said chambers to propel the vessel, and anair-forcing mechanism connected with said pipes, substantially as hereindescribed.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN SCHROEDER.

Witnesses:

S. H. NoURsE, ll. C. LEE.

